Outside Scholarships

Treatment of Outside Scholarships

It is always to a student’s benefit to receive outside scholarship funding, even if she is receiving financial aid. For students on financial aid, Barnard’s policy is to reduce or eliminate the loan and work portion of the financial aid package before reducing any part of the Barnard College Grant. If the outside scholarship exceeds the amount of loan and work funds awarded, the grant then gets reduced by the remaining balance. For example, if a first-year student receives an outside scholarship of $5,700, this scholarship would replace the self-help portion (loan and work) of her package which equals $5,500. Her Barnard grant would then be reduced by the remaining balance of $200. If she then received the same outside scholarship in her sophomore year, her $6,700 self-help award would be reduced to $1,000 and her Barnard grant would remain the same. Please note that no outside scholarship can directly reduce the parental contribution or the summer earnings expectation.

Each financial aid recipient must notify the Office of Financial Aid of all outside scholarships that she receives. Notification should include a copy of the award certificate or letter from the scholarship donor indicating the amount and the terms of the award. All scholarship checks should be sent directly to the Bursar's Aid Office.

Sources of Outside Scholarships

Private grants and scholarships may be based on academic achievement, ethnicity, religious affiliation, organizational members, hobbies, or special talents. Applying for private grants and scholarships requires aggressive pursuit and time. Remember to meet the application deadlines, as the funding may be limited. Below are some suggested sources to contact regarding outside scholarships and private grants:

Links to Outside Scholarship Search Tools

The following are links to websites, created and maintained by outside organizations, offering free scholarship searches. The scholarships or references listed here are not endorsed by Barnard College. Nor do we know the particulars about any financial aid offered by organizations outside of Barnard. It is recommended that you DO NOT PAY for a scholarship search.

Individual Outside Scholarships

Purpose: This program provides full tuition for four years to 10 graduating seniors from New York City public and private high schools. It is a comprehensive development program that includes paid summer internships and part-time work at JPMorgan Chase during the school year.

Purpose: "for young people who demonstrate, through academic excellence and leadership in their communities, their capacity for and commitment to making a difference in the world. Awards are based on character, personal merit and commitment. Merit is demonstrated through leadership in school, civic and extracurricular activities, academic achievement, and motivation to serve and succeed."

Purpose: "for college freshmen of Italian-American heritage, with financial need (income not to exceed $25,000 per capita), academic excellence (at least 85% or 3.0 GPA), service to school and community..."

Purpose: "a highly competitive program for African-American, Hispanic American, Native American/Alaskan Native and Asian Pacific American students who are citizens/legal permanent residents of the U.S. with cumulative high school GPA of 3.3 and demonstrated leadership abilities through community service and extracurricular activities. The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is the administrator of the GMS initiative." Student must meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria.

Purpose: "...for students pursuing a career in technology...applicants must be full-time undergraduate U.S. citizens or visa-holding Permanent Residents of African American, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, Native Alaskan or Hispanic descent with GPA of 3.0 or better."